Lost and Found
by PiyuPiyu
Summary: A story of losing and finding—both happening in a blink of an eye. Of a man loving a woman who's like a flower living on a star far away from his arms. Joseph is the newly crowned King of Genovia, and he's in search of Clarisse who disappears as suddenly as she came into his life. Please read and review! Thank you!
1. Prologue: Lost

"Lost and Found"

Author: PiyuPiyu

Rating: T, but I might change it into M in the near future! *winks*

Disclaimer: We all know they all belong to Disney, Buena Vista, and Meg Cabot. I only own the plot and the names that will be used in the future chapters. I also don't make any money from writing this.

This is my very first fanfic, and I hope you'd enjoy it. Please leave a comment after reading! Thank you!

Prologue: Lost

_-Three Days After-_

He had lost her.

And now, he was losing himself.

Joseph Renaldi buried his head in his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, wanting everything around him to vanish, to disintegrate—if that could only happen. There was a soft yet audible knock on his office door. He raised his head and blinked hard, but shut his eyes right away.

Was it just three days ago? Or was it only yesterday when they found happiness in a wrecked place at the most inopportune time?

Or was he just traumatized of the accident and all of its effects were taking their toll on him, and all of this nonsense was just fragments of dreams that were results of all those drug-induced sleep he had had?

Another knock. He blinked again and he was back to where he thought was real but was like a dream—because it was just too perfect to be real.

_She was lying in his arms, beautiful like an angel, her short golden hair strewn above her head like a halo. "Hey."_

_"Yes?" He looked down at her, knowing she had been staring at him for a while, the warmth of her soft body seeping through his hard one._

_"You're too quiet. Anything wrong?" she whispered, and then he looked away. He couldn't let her see the worry, because he was sure it was etched all over his face. He couldn't let her worry herself._

_"No, nothing. . . I was just thinking," he muttered as he fingered the errant blonde curls on her forehead, and then smiled at her. But his smile slowly faded away after a few silent moments. It seemed that he couldn't keep this from her. And with a sigh, he spoke his thoughts out. "These all happened quite too fast, didn't they?"_

_There was another silent moment before she spoke up. "Quite fast, yes."_

_"What will happen after all of these?"_

_"We stay as what we are now, happy and contented." She smiled and smoothed the crease formed on his forehead. "Now, now, stop thinking too much." She slid higher to cup his face, moving closer into his embrace, put two of her fingers on either sides of his lips and stretched it into a smile. "And smile."_

_He caught her hand and chuckled, "Yes, ma'am." He pressed her more closely as he savored the feeling of her body next to his. But using a more serious tone, he asked her, "Would you rather stay with me here?" He wanted to know, he just needed to know, to be assured—even though he knew there were obstacles in their way that they must overcome first._

_She pursed her lips close and took a moment to answer. "You don't have to ask me, you know my answer." She pressed her lips against his and reached for his other hand. "Just remember, you will always be here and here." She put it on her head then above her heart. "And I will always be in yours."_

_He tightened his hold on her hand. "I know you will. You always will. . ."_

_Where are you now, Clarisse?_ he thought to himself. If he found her now, would she recognize him? Why did she leave him when she promised to stay with him? _No, she did not! the irrational part of his brain shouted at him. She was playing you all along! Now she have you tightly collared around the neck and even now that she's gone already, you're like a dog aimlessly searching for your master!_

She vanished as suddenly as she'd appeared into his life, leaving him thoroughly changed. She'd given him everything that he needed but never had wanted to have, and everything he wanted but never had needed, and filled the gap he had had, that big black hole of emptiness inside him since he was a child. He'd received the love that he'd never had, that he never thought he would have. But now that she had left him, that filled emptiness was again drained—not only was it a huge part of him, it was now in his very core, in his very center. His life before had been not perfect but relatively good enough for a human being to live on, but now. . . he was alive, yes, but he was not _living_ at all.

Another intruding knock again—the sound it made echoing in his room three times, breaking the little world his memories had made and bringing him back into reality. He forcefully opened his eyes and collected himself some composure, putting that well-practiced smile on his lips. "Yes, yes, you may come in."

Charlotte, his assistant, stepped into his office and curtsied. "Your Majesty, there's a phone call for you. Line one." And here was the long awaited call. It had finally come, hopefully with news of her whereabouts.

"Thank you, Charlotte. You may leave now."

But before Charlotte walked out of the room, in hopes of encouraging him, she said, "We will find her, Sir." In the long years Charlotte had been working as a personal assistant, Joseph had become a family to her. He also treated her like she was a part of his. The King wasn't just her employer; he was also her friend, a big brother to her. When she needed a hand, he was there to give it. Now that he needed someone to support him, she'd make sure she'd be there with him wherever this search might take them.

Ever grateful Charlotte was there trying to lift his hopes up, Joseph let his mask slip a little. "We will, Charlotte."

When he was again all alone in the silence of his dark office, he closed his eyes, letting everything drown him, suffocate him to sleep. _Wherever she is, please keep her safe,_ he prayed to gods he didn't quite believed in.

**-**TBC-


	2. Chapter 1: Gray Clouds

Author's note: Sorry for the very late update. I've been doing so much lately, and school works couldn't just stop squeezing themselves into my schedule. But now that our school year has officially ended, I'm FREE! Horray!

And I re-read the first chapter, and I think there was a gap at the end. But don't worry, that will be filled in in the next chapter. :)

Anyway, thanks for all of your reviews on the first chapter. I appreciate them all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! *cries* Just the plot and made-up characters.

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><p>Chapter 1: Gray Clouds<p>

-Ten days before Clarisse disappears-

Hundreds of thoughts were running through her head as she stared out the window, sitting in a comfortable couch on a plane to Genovia. She had wanted to see the top view of Genovia before they landed, for she hadn't been to Genovia for years, but all she could make out was gray clouds forming and spreading across the wide expanse of the usually clear sky.

But, to tell the truth, she had been staring outside because she had nowhere to look at. She couldn't even twist her head and turn in her seat!

Why, of all possible places on this planet, did she have to see him here?

_Because you have no control over everything, Clarisse Mignotte, no matter what you do. It happens when it needs to happen,_ she thought to herself.

Just like outside, the rain now starting to fall down droplets by droplets, and then within seconds, it began to downpour. . . unceasingly, uncontrollably. All the dry land beneath could do was to receive everything. And the same she should do.

"There's nothing to see out there, you know. . ." She hadn't heard his voice for quite a time, but she knew too well who was talking. She knew too well the natural deep timbre of his voice when they were younger, and still, it remained the same. . .

She turned her head to the direction where the voice had come from. There he sat, just a seat away from hers. She had thought she had been imagining earlier when she saw him sneaking onto the plane, one security with him.

But here he was, talking to her, sounding hesitant yet _real_—the proof that she hadn't been imagining at all. She remained silent, not believing who was she looking at.

"Sorry. How rude of me, talking to you without introducing myself. A stranger on a plane disturbing your quiet moment. I'm Jo—"

Clarisse cut him midway. "I know who you are."

"Ah, yes, of course. You might have seen me on TV or have read an article about me in a newspaper or magazine. . ."

He didn't recognize her—so it was true after all.

_"He has no memory of you. . ."_ James Edwards' words eighteen years ago echoed in her ears. He was Joseph's closest friend; he must be saying the truth—wouldn't lie about his friend's condition, especially to her.

"Of course, Your Majesty. " It sounded too indifferent to her, but how should she react to this? He didn't know her, not even her name.

"Too quiet in here, don't you think? Just the two of us," he said, trying to start a conversation with her.

"The plane people are on the other side, and you have your security with you, Your Majesty, five rows away from here." She could see the corners of his lips turning up into a smile and the laughter lines around his eyes wrinkling.

"Of course, of course." He slightly nodded his head upward.

She raised an eyebrow.

He couldn't help but give off a little laugh. "The _plane people_?"

"Ah, my habit. Sorry. " She shifted her gaze back to the window and then closed her eyes, remembering. He had teased her about this habit of hers too years ago.

"It's all right. It just sounds. . ." He smiled at her; she simply smiled back, looking away. "Well, never mind. . . And please don't call me 'Your Majesty' or 'Sir'. Call me by my name, that will be fine. What's your name again? Have I asked you that?"

"It's Clarisse, Sir."

"Surely a surname goes next to that, Clarisse. And please, no more "sir". No one can hear us talking anyway," He smiled again—that smile she had been used to seeing everyday; that smile that could crack her foul mood and make her smile too. He hadn't changed; nothing had changed him. Even the way he smiled, it was still the same. Deeply buried memories came unbidden to her mind, moments with him smiling and laughing flashing.

She shook her head slightly, shifting in her seat. "Just Clarisse, Your Majesty." She didn't want him knowing more, remembering of anything about her.

He cleared his throat.

"Errr, Joseph. . ." She corrected herself; he chuckled.

"Oh, you must be wondering why a king is riding on a first class plane instead on his own."

"Being a king, you must be terribly busy. You have urgent meetings and other official occasions here and there that you must attend to," she guessed. She knew how busy he had been when he was just a prince and the heir apparent to the throne. How else now that he was the reigning king?

"That's more likely my usual reason." Joseph stood up from his, gesturing to the seat beside Clarisse's. "May I?"

She nodded.

"What about you? Going to spend a vacation in Genovia?"

"Ah, no. Going back home." The words felt good coming from her mouth. At last, she was going home.

"That's good to hear! Welcome back then!" Joseph gave one of his most welcoming smiles to her. "Is that why you were looking outside? You wanted to see Genovia?"

"Partly yes." She knew she would be lying to him—and to herself—if she said no.

A long pause.

"I'm looking for something. . ."

"But have you found it? The clouds has pratically blacked out the sky. You can hardly see a thing out there."

"I know, but I'm willing to wait." She didn't know why she said that. Maybe there was a reason for her coming back to Genovia. There had to be, and she resolved to find it. Maybe his memories of her would return too. Maybe they would be back to what they had been in past. . . Maybes. Nothing was certain to happen. And there was nothing she could but give herself false hopes.

"Your Majesty, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a nap. This day has been tiring." Clarisse tried to hide her yawn, but it didn't go unnoticed to Joseph.

"Okay. I'll leave you to your solitude then," he said, smirking as he stood up to face her. "Has anyone mentioned to you that you're quiet stubborn for a lady like you?"

"Many, and many gave up because of it." She covered her mouth with her hand and yawned.

He chuckled, walking away. "Have a good nap, Clarisse. And good luck to your searching. After all, every after rain appears a rainbow. You'll find that rainbow when the right time comes."

"I know," she whispered to herself, but he heard it.

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><p>AN: I'm trying all my best to make it not confusing. All will be revealed as the story progresses. If there's any question, PM me. Please leave a review after reading! Thanks!


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